Device for releasing contents of pressure containers



.-A ril 2', 1935. I c. R.. PHILLIPS DEVICE FOR BELEASING CONTENTS OF PRESSURE CONTAINERS Filed March 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gad mgu o BYW7 I Z TB RNEYS April 2, 1935. c; R. PHILLIPS I 1,996,489

DEVICE FOR RELEASING CONTENTS OF PRESSURE CONTAINERS Filed March 26, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w w nwy/ 1 an iv, j m 4w Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR REIiZZfN G CONTENTS on i I This invention relates to a device for controlling PRE S SURE CONTAINERS Cecil Roy Phillips, North Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application March- 26,

11 Claims.

the release or discharge of the contents .of pressure containers, thatis to say containers which are filled with a compressed gaseous medium such as, for example, carbon dioxide.

Pressure containers of the character described are employed for a wide variety of uses. example, they are employed in connection with For the safety equipment of aircraft, in which case they are available in an emergency to inflate rafts or other life saving equipment of a pneumatic character.

One object of the invention is a device which is manually operable and quick acting to render immediately available the contents of the container with which the device is associated.

A further object is a device which is operable, after the release of a portion of the contents of the container, to prevent the further discharge of the contents when such discharge is unnecessary.

A still further object is a device in which the parts are so designed that when operated to release the gas from the container the said parts automatically assume" and maintain a position to cut away the seal which is employed to prevent the escape of the gaseous medium until the container is placed in service, whereby to condition the container so that upon operationof the device the gaseous medium will be discharged.

A still further object is to provide a device which is so designed that it is applicable to containers of standard construction.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container of the kind to which a devicesembodying features of the invention is adapted to be applied.

F gure2 is an enlarged sectional view of the Figure 6'.

193 i, SerialNo. 717,363

FigureL8 is a transverse section taken along line 8-8 of Figure '7. s

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section taken along line 99 of. Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section taken along 5 line l0l0 of Figure-7.

The parts of the device are arranged in a suit-'- able casing l2 (Figure 5), the said device being illustrated in connection with a pressure container l3 of standard construction, The casing 1 I2 is connected to the container l3 by a union I4, the said union being suitably threaded at one end as at l5 for engagement with the internally threaded neck of the container and at itsopposite end as at l6 for engagement with the threaded end Ila of a passage I'l (Figure 6) which extends longitudinally of the casing. l2.

The union l4 (Figure 2) is adapted to provide a closurefor the container I3 until such time as the device is applied thereto, it being understood in this connection that the said device, to the end of economy, is applied to a container only when the latter is placed in service. In other words, until such time as the container is conditioned for use, the discharge outlet thereof is closed by the union l4. The said union includes a passage l8. When serving the purpose described, therefore, the passage I8 is sealed by a threaded element H! which is located in anenpassage being suitably threaded for the greater part of its extent to accommodate the said element. The element I9 is formed with a central passage 21 which is closed by a metal disc 22, thesaid disc and. an annular sealing member 23 fitting in the enlarged end ofthe passage 2| and being secured therein by the turned-over 1 end of the element. The member 23 may be of any suitable material such as, for example, micarta. It cooperates with an annular rib'24 40 formed in the bottom of the enlarged part 20 of the passage l8. When the element I9 is screwed into position the sealing member 23 is forced tightly against the rib 24, thereby sealing the passage I8 and preventing'the escape of gas from the container. The element l9, as illustrated, is formed with a series of longitudinally extending slots 25 whichare adapted to accommodate a suitable tool during assembling or replacement of the parts. In this connection it is understood, of course, that the container may be filled in accordance with conventional practice. The outer end l9 of the element l9 extends into a chamber l9 which is an enlargement of the central passage 3, the saiden'd providing larged part 20 of the passage, this part of the Q member 45 by a spring 41.

a valve seat which is adapted to'cooperate with the device as will be more fully described hereinafter. k

From the foregoing it will be apparent that until the container is to be placed in service the element |9 seals the passage l3 through the union l4 and prevents the escape of the gas with which the container is filled. When the container is to be placed in service the device is applied, this being accomplished by screwing the end l6 of the union' l4 into the threaded end of the passage H in the casing l2.' Beyond the threaded portion the passage I! is reduced to provide a shoulder 26. A sealing or packing member 21 is arranged in the passage 11 against the shoulder 26, the said member being com-' pressed between the shoulder 26 and theendof the unionas the latter is screwed into thepassage. i

The casing l2 includes a body preferably of cast metal and consisting of sections 28 and 28 which are suitably secured together, the longitudinally extending passage II, as best shown in Figure 7, being located at one side of the body while a chamber 30 is located in the opposite side. The casing also includes a cover 3|, the latter having ears 32 which are located at 0pposite sides of a boss 33 formed upon the body section 28; A pin 34 cooperates with the cars 32 and the boss 33 to pivotally connect the cover to the body. The cover 3| may, if desired, be secured 'in its closed posltion by' a suitable set screw 3! The outer side wall of the chamber 30 is provided by a panel 35 which is pivotally connected at one end between the front and back walls of the body by a pin 36. The panel is formed or provided at its opposite end with a projection 3! which may be grasped and pulled to pivot the panel 35 outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figures 5 and 7.

The passage I1 is of' reduced diameter at its" central portion 38 to provide a 'guideway for the stem 39 of a valve 49, the said valvehaving a face provided by a sealing member 4 which is in the form of an insert. In its full-open position the valve 49 is located in a chamber 42, the

latter being an enlargement of the passage I1 and being in alignment with the chamber l9 formed in the inner end of the union I4. An opening 43 (Figure 7) which is formed in the easing 2 communicates with the chamber 42, suitable clearance being provided between the valve 40 and the walls of the chamber so that the opening 43 is in communication with the .chamber l9 when the valve 40 is open.' The opening 43 is threaded to accommodate a union 44 which is threaded at its outer end for connection to the conduit (not shown) through which the contents of the container |3 are conducted to the apparatus which is to be inflated. It will be apparent, therefore, that when the valve 40 is open and the passage I8 through the union 4 is also open, the contents of the container l3 will be discharged through the union 44 and conduit connected thereto. A sealing member 45, preferably of soft rubber or similar material, is arranged at .the end of the chamber 42, the back of the valve 40 being formed with an annularrib 46 which embeds itself in the sealing member as the valve approaches its full open position.

The valve 40 is moved to its open position and held in sealing relation with respect to the sealing The said spring is arranged around the valve stem 39 in an enlarged part of the passage II. It is held under compresslon between a shoulder 48 and a nut 49 which is carried by the stem 39, the said stem being suitably threaded to permit adjustment of the nut to compress the spring 41 to the desired extent.

Means is provided for closing the valve 40, that is to say seat it against the rib l9 formed on the element l9. The said means includes a threaded element 50 which is mounted for axial adjustment in a member 5|. The inner end of the threaded element engages a ball 52 which is carried by the end of the valve stem 39 while the outer end of the said element is squared as. at 53 for cooperation with the tool which is em-' ployed to adjust it. In this'connection it will be noted that anopening 54 is formed in the cover 3| opposite the squared end of the element in order to enable access to the element without the necessity of removing the set screw 3| or opening the cover 3|. The member 5| is formed with ears 5|- which are located;at opposite sides of an outwardly extending part 55 of the boss 33, the said member being pivotally connected to the'boss by a pin 56 which passes through the ears 5| and the upwardly extending part 55. The member 5|-is normally held against the body section 28 by mechanism to be described hereinafter. When held in such position the threaded element 50 may be adjusted axially to move the valve 40 out of the chamber 42 against the action of the spring 41 and into the chamber l9 so that the face 4| of the valve seats upon the rib I 9 of the element 9 and seals the passage 2| through the said element.

In accordance with the invention means is provided for forming an opening in the disc 22 as the valve 40 is moved toward its closed position, whereby when subsequently the valve is opened the contents of the container will discharge through the opening thus formed into the conduit connected to the union 44. To this end the valve 40 carries a punch 51, the shank of the punch being suitably secured in a socket 58 formed in the valve head 40 and being hollow at its outer end. Preferably the said outer end is beveled as at 59 to provide a knife-like cutting edge. It will be apparent that as the valve 40 moves toward its closed position the end of the punch 51 will pass through the disc 22 and cut away the central portion thereof as best shown in Figure '7. After the punch 51 passes through the disc 22 the valve 40 seats against the end ll! of the element I9. There is only a short interval between the punching of the disc 22 and the seating of the valve. The amount of the compressed gaseous medium-which escapes from the container l3 around the punch 51 is, therefore, negligible. Moreover as the punch passes through the disc a marginal flange is formed thereon which fits closely around the punch to reduce to a minimum escape of the gaseous medium between the punch and the disc.

The mechanism for holding the member 5| against the body section -28 includes a lever 60 which is pivotally mounted upon a pin 6| between two arms 62 of the said body section. One

end 63 of the lever extends between a pair of arms 64 of the member 5|, the said arms carrying a pin 65 which passes through an 'arcuate slot 66 formed in the end 63 of the lever. When the lever 60 is in the full-line or retracted position shown, the pin 65 is located adjacent the inner end of the slot66. The outer end 6'1 of the lever 60 is bifurcated (see Figure 9) to provide two legs 66. A roller 69 is mounted between the the panel is thus prevented.

ing formed with a depression ends of said legs upon a pin I0. Alatch H is pivotally mounted in the chamber 30 upon a pin 12. One end of the latch is formed to-provide a finger 13 which is movable between the legs 68 of the lever 60 to fit around the roller 59 The latch is provided witha tailpiece 14 which is pivotally connected to one end of a link 15, ,the opposite end ofthe said link being pivotally connected between ears E6 formed or provided upon the inner side of the panel 35. 1

When the valve 40 is seated, as shown in'Figure 7, the spring 41 is compressed. Outward movement' of the free end of the member 5| is prevented by the pin 65 acting against the wall of the slot 66. Owing to the curvature of the said wall the outer end 61 of the lever 60 would, un-- less provision were made to prevent it, be moved outwardly by the action of the spring 61. The latch H, however, prevents such movement of the lever. Preferably thefinger 13 'of the latch is so formed that the resistance by the latch to the outward movement of the outer end 61 of the lever 60 tends to pivot the latch slightly upon the pin 12. This action of the latch II is transmitted through the link to the. panel 35. The panel, therefore, offers a slight resistance when an attempt is made to open it. Accidental opening of It will be apparent that upon moving the panel 35 to its extended position, that is to say to the dotted-line position shown' in Figures 5 and '7, the latch 1| is pivoted upon the pin 12 to release the lever 60. The lever, therefore, is permitted to pivot upon the pin 6|, the pin 55 moving to the opposite end of the slot 65 during such movement of the lever and permittingthe member 5| to pivot uponthe pin 55 to the dotted-line position shown. The valve 40, therefore, opens to permitthe discharge of the compressed gaseous medium in the manner described, the panel 35 be- IT to accommodate the end of the lever 60 when it is in its extended position.

When once the panel is moved to its extended position to release the valve 40 the latter cannot be closed by the panel nor can the panel be returned to its original position. Any attempt to close the panel 35 after release of the valve 59 in' the manner described results in the application of the force to the pin 65 at right angles to the direction in which it must be applied in order to return the 'member 5| to its original position against the body section 28. The construction described, therefore, has the advantage that when the valve 40 has been once releasedto permit discharge of the contents of the container lathe panel 35 will thereafter remain in its extended-position and serve'as an indication or'warning of this fact. The condition of the container, therefore, can be readily determined by an inspection of the panel 35.

While the panel 35 cannot be returned to its original position when once it has been operated to releasethe valve 40, thelatter may be closed, if desired, by further adjustment of the threaded element 50. In other words, after the member 5| moves to the dotted-line position shown-in Figure 7 to permit the valve 40 to open, the element 56 may be further adjusted to seat the said valve again andprevent further discharge of the gaseous medium. In order to enable the return of the panel 35 to its normal position, the threaded element 5|! must be unscrewed to such an extent with relation to the'stem of the valve 40 that the member 5| can is taken out of service.

the stem of the valve.

be returned to its position against the body member 28 without compres: sion of the spring 61.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the device is available for use in connection with containers of standard design, the device being attached to a container when the latter ,is placed in service and being removed when the container In attaching the device, the threaded element 50 is adjusted to the position shown in Figure 6 and the panel 35 is closed. In this position the valve 40 is fully open. The end I6 of the union I4 is then screwed into the threaded end of-the passage l1 so that the sealing element 21 is compressed between the shoulder 25 and the end ofthe union. device is thus secured upon the container i3 the end of the punch 51. terminates in the vicinity of the sealing disc 22. The element 50 is then adjusted to move the valve 40 to its closed position, the punch 51 cutting away the central portion of the disc 22 during the part of the closing movement of the valve. When the panel is operated to release the valve in the manner described, the gaseous medium from the con- 7 tainer passes through the opening formed in the disc 22, around the valve 40 and through the union and conduit connected thereto to the equipment to be inflated. As the valve opens the rib 46 imbeds itself in the sealing element and prevents the escape of the gaseous medium around Thereafter the valve 4|] can only be closed by further adjustment of the threaded element 50 in the manner described, the panel 35 being locked in its indicate that at least a part of the gaseous medium When the extended position to with which the container i3 is fllledhas been discharged.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a pressure container having a member for sealing the discharge outlet thereof and a valve seat, of a device for effecting the release of the contents of the container, said device including a valve, resilient means for holding said valve open, a punch carried by said valve, means for moving said valve into cooperating relation with said valve seat, said punch being operative during the initial part of the movement of said valve to form an opening in said member, means for securing said valve against said seat, quick actingmechanism for releasing said valve, whereby to permit discharge of the contents of the container through said opening, said mechanism including a member which is movable to a position which will indicate that said valve has been released andi'neans whereby said member is locked in said position when said valve is released.

"2. A device for controlling the release of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, means for closing said valve against the action of said resilient means, means for releasing said valve, whereby to permit discharge of the contents of the container, a

member which is movable upon operation of said whereby to permit discharge of the contents of the container, a member which is movable upon operation of said last named means to a position which will indi-- cate that said valve has been released and means for locking said member in said position.

4. A device for controlling the release of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, means for closing said valve against the action of said resilient means, mechanism for releasing said valve, whereby to permit discharge of thecontents-of the container, said mechanism including a manually operable actuating member which when operated assumes a position which indicates that said'valve has been released and means for closing said valve after it has been released without moving said member from said position.

5. A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve, resilient means for opening said valve, means for closing said valve against the action of said resilient means, mechanism for releasing said valve, whereby tofpermit discharge of the contents of the container, said mechanism including a manually operable actuating member which, when operated, assumes a position that indicates that said valve has been released and means for locking said member in such position.

6.' A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve, resilient means for opening said valve, means for closing said 'valve against the action of said resilient means, mechanism for releasing said valve, whereby to permit discharge of the contents of the container, said mechanism including a manually operable actuating member which, when operated, assumes a position that indicates that said valve has been released and means for locking said member in such position, said second named means being operable after operation of said mechanism to again close said valve and prevent further discharge of said contents.

7. A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, a threaded element, a pivotally mounted member by which said element is carried, means for securing said member against movement at one limit of its range of movement, said threaded element being adjustable-when said member is so secured to close said valve and means for releasing said securing means, whereby said member moves to'the other limit of its range of movement to permit said valve to open, said threaded element being further adjustable while said member is at said other limit to again close said valve.

, 8. A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve having a stem, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, a threaded element, a pivotally mounted member for carrying said element, means. for holding said member against movement at one limit of its range of movement, said threaded element'cooperating with said stem and being adjustable when said member is held at said limit to close said valve and means for releasing said securing means, whereby said member moves to the other limit of its range of movement to permit said valve to open.

9. A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve provided with a stem, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, a threaded element, a pivotally mounted member for carrying said element, means for holding said member against movement at one limit of its range of movemnt, said threaded element cooperating with said stem and being adjustable when said member is held at said limit to close said valve, said holding means including a pivotally mounted lever, an arcuate slot formed in one end of said lever, said member being connected to said lever by a. pin which extends through 10. A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a pressure container, said device including a valve having a stem, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, a threaded element, a for carrying said element, means for holding said member against movement at one limit of its range of movement, said threaded element cooperating with said stem and being adjustable when said member is held at said limit to close said valve, said holding means including a pivotally mounted lever, an arcuate slot formed in one end of said lever, said member being connected to said lever by a pin which passes through said slot, a latch for holding the opposite end of said lever against movement and means for releasing said latch, whereby to permit said member to pivot to the other limit of its range of movement and thereby release said valve and permit it to open, said pin moving to such a point pivotally mounted memberin said slot as to lock said lever against return to its original position.

11. A device for controlling the discharge of the contents of a including a casing, a valve having a stem, resilient means for moving said valve to an open position, a threaded element, a pivotally mounted member for carrying said element, means for holding said member against movement at one limit of its range of movement, said threaded element cooperating with said stem and being adjustable when said to close said valve, said holding means including a pivotally mounted lever, an arcuate slot formed in one end of said lever, said member being connected to said lever by a pin which passes through said slot, a latch for holding the opposite end of said lever against movement and an actuating element carried by said casing and to which said latch is connected, said actuating element being movable to release said member to pivot to the other limit of its range of movement and thereby release said valve and permit it to open, said pin moving to such a position in said slot as to lock said lever against pressure container, said devicemember is held at said limit said latch, whereby to permit 

